Adjustable reading-rack



' I. L. OSTERHOUT.

ADJUSTABLE READING RACK. APPLICATION man MAY 28, 1920.

1,398, 01; Patented Nov. 29, 1921.

' QTTORNEYS.

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To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, ma L. OST ER HOUT, a citizen of the United' States, 'i esidin at Colfax, in the countyof Whitman and tate' of WVashington, have invented a new" and useful Adjustable Beading-Rack, ot'which the following is a specificationf I The object of my invention is to provide improved illuminated reading rack specially adapted for enabling a person 'to read while in bed andhaving a novel combination of means for adjusting'the rack in all directions and securingit in adjusted position at various points, including means for holding either small or large volumes, as disclosed in the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a'perspective View of the rack inuse;

Fig. 2 is a sideelevation the invention Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view onthe line 3-3.0f Fig. 2; I

Fig. 4: is a front plan of the rack or book rest; and

Fig. 5 is a modified form of the invention having the lamp cord suspended from the successive sections of the lazy tongs by rings R.

Like letters designate like parts in each of the views. 7

Referring to the accompanying drawings I provide a suitable bracket P adapted to engage any suitable article of furniture, such as the side rail of a bed, and having a suitable thumb-screw A for releasably securing the bracket to the article of furniture; and a suitable tube B mounted on and affixed to the bracket. Tube B is provided with a suitable opening Q near its lower end, through which the electric lamp cord L passes. I provide a suitable rack supporting tubular arm D mounted in tube B and vertically adjustable therein; and a suitable thumb-screw C mounted in tube B and adapted to engage tubular arm D to secure the same in adjusted position. Arm D is adjustable both vertically and radially. Mounted on the end of tubular arm D, I provide a support or hinge E for the lazy tongs F, one of the series of consecutively connected arms of the lazy tongs being of tubular construction, and through which the electric lamp cord D is threaded as shown in Fig. 2. I may, however, provide lazy tongs of solid construction having rings R mounted on successive sections and 1929 ."Seria1'No.' 385,019.

rat wlriw-aaia i 'i throughwhich the-lampcord Iris threaded. exterior to the lazy tongs. I provide a.

suitable-racksupport or hinge H attached;

to the free end "of the lazy tongs, and carrying a rack and-lamp supportingihinge G onwhich-is mounted the rack orbookrest K, which is supported a'djustably by 'mem-i ber I I'which engages the slotH at the desired angle by means of a suitable-adjustcarrying the electric lamp rack Kis provided with a suitable base O andwith suitable spring clips or-fr'asteners M,- which are laterally adjustable onthe rack Kto make 'it possible to hold a small volume. o Y

The device is especially designed -for'the xusefofpatints who areconfined to a'be'd, and is'p'r'ovidedwith a series of means which permit fthe -"deviceto be readily adjusted book 'or equally well as a' 'larger vertically,-laterally', and radially,"and'-which in addition permit of independent adjustment of the rack relative to the lamp, and.

of adjustment of the main supporting structure or lazy tongs relative to the main telescopic supporting tubes. I provide the novel tubular lazy tong members as shown, permitting of the convenient mounting and concealment of the lamp cord, while not interfering with the adjustment of the structure in a variety of directions.

The operation of the various means for adjustment is disclosed in the accompany ing drawings, and is described above in connection with the explanation of the structure.

What I claim is:

1. In an adjustable reading rack, the combination of a bracket releasably attached to an article of furniture, a tube mounted on the bracket, a second L-shaped tube telescopically mounted and radially swingable a book rack, said means including means 7 for extensibly supporting anelectric light cord, a book rack, and means adjustably connecting the book rack to the aforesaid extensible means to permit-of vertical and tiltable adjustment.

65 5 ingisc rew I. Also mounted on hingeIG I provide tubular lamp supporting arm 'J- j N. Beading 2. In an adjustable reading rack, the combination of a supporting bracket releasably attachable to an article of furni ture, telescoping tubes mounted on said bracket, said tubes having channels of suitable size for an electric lighting cord to be threaded therethrough, extensible means attached to the uppermost of said tubes, said extensible means including means through which an electric lighting cord may be threaded to prevent its-hanging loose, a

reading rack supporting member adjustablymounted on the extensible means and vertically adjustable relative thereto, and a reading rack tiltably mounted on the last having a channel for the electric light cord and an opening for the passage of the cord near the end of the tube, means for adjusting the position of the inner relative to the outer tube, a lazy tongs element mounted on the inner tube, means in connection with the lazy tongs'element for threading the electric light cord along and through same,

means on the end of the lazy tongs element for supportin a reading rack, said means being vertical y adjustable, a reading rack, a tube aflixed to the means for supporting the reading rack, through which the electric lighting co-rd may be threaded, said means terminatingin a suitable position above the reading rack for receiving an electric lamp, substantially as shown and for the purposes described.

4:. In an adjustable illuminatable reading rack, the combination of means for attaching the rack to a suitable article of furni 'ture, a telescopic supporting device, means for securing said telescopic device in vertically and radially adjusted positions, said telescopic device being adapted to contain an electric lighting cord in concealed position, an extensible lazy tongs element at- 1 tached to said lazy tongs element, means for threading an electric cable along and through the lazy tongs element, a reading rack supporting member on the lazy tongs element, a reading rack tiltably mounted on said member, a hollow electric lighting cord containing element aflixed to the reading rack supporting member and terminating in a position above the reading rack and adapted to carry an electric lamp to illuminate the rack, substantially as shown.

' IVAN L. OSTERHOUT. 

